leaguenomics

The season · manager behavior

A good draft is not enough. You still have to show up.

Drafting well gives you a book worth managing. Leave it alone all season and it still loses.

The last piece showed that most of a great draft grade is really injury luck. Say you cleared that bar and genuinely drafted well. You are still only halfway home. A draft is an opening position, not a closing balance, and the season is a long stretch of trading that book.

Below is every manager season, placed by how active they were on the waiver wire and in trades from left to right, against how well they drafted from bottom to top. Champions are gold. The dashed lines split the field at the league’s middle for activity and at a neutral draft.

Draft ROI
Color
League championEveryone elseLines split at league-median activity and neutral draft

Share of all champions, by quadrant

Low activity
High activity
Good draft
19%
8 of 120 champions
27% of managers
67%
28 of 106 champions
24% of managers
Weak draft
0%
0 of 97 champions
22% of managers
14%
6 of 119 champions
27% of managers

Big number = share of all champions (cells sum to 100%). Below it = share of managers, the baseline a quadrant would win by chance.

The winners bunch into one corner. Managers who drafted well and worked the wire all season won the league 26 percent of the time. Draft well and then coast, and it falls to 7 percent. Grind the wire on a weak roster, and it is 5 percent. Do neither, and you did not win a single title in this corpus. 28 of the 42 champions here came from that one high-effort corner.

So activity is not magic. It compounds a good draft and cannot rescue a bad one. But coasting is the surest way to lose. The managers who win treat the draft as the down payment and the season as the position they keep actively trading.

How it is measured

One dot is one manager in one season. Activity is that manager’s total in-season transactions (adds, drops, and trades) measured against their own league’s median manager, so 1.0 is a typical leaguemate and 2.0 is twice as active. Measuring against the league median keeps busy leagues and quiet leagues on the same scale. Draft ROI is every pick priced against the value its position returned, summed for the roster; the toggle swaps in the same health-adjusted version from the previous piece. Quadrants split at a neutral draft and at the league median. Only full-roster redraft leagues are included. Names of people and leagues are never shown.

43 redraft league seasons · 442 manager seasons · updated August 2026

Show the data as a table
SeasonTeamsMoves× medianDraft ROIFinish
20128240.96336.21st 🏆
20128220.88173.62nd
20128481.9297.53rd
20128200.8272.94th
20128240.96134.45th
20128281.12-150.96th
20128823.28-308.27th
20128261.04-556.78th
20126241.0496.71st 🏆
20126241.04111.92nd
20126220.96-3.44th
20126180.78-1473rd
20126120.52168.85th
20126321.39-227.56th
201610502.38279.71st 🏆
201610241.1451.53rd
201610341.62-71.12nd
20161080.38211.74th
201610180.86-122.66th
201610582.7611.48th
201610200.9527.15th
201610221.05-408.17th
2016100078.99th
20161000-59.310th
201612762.62168.25th
201612772.66-27.61st 🏆
201612491.6943.73rd
201612140.48343.32nd
201612301.03-309.47th
201612280.9765.78th
201612401.38-247.86th
201612220.7681.74th
201612002999th
201612190.66-232.110th
201612441.52204.111th
201612240.83-389.112th
20178561.6-200.64th
20178240.69135.52nd
20178601.71179.93rd
20178361.03590.11st 🏆
20178641.83-232.16th
20178200.57102.55th
20178340.97-35.57th
20178260.74-540.98th
201712501.47332.75th
201712320.94135.23rd
201712621.8240.22nd
201712461.3556.81st 🏆
201712220.65-193.68th
201712541.59313.16th
201712160.47130.27th
201712361.06-389.74th
201712320.94-314.59th
201712722.12-12110th
201712300.88-79.711th
201712230.6890.112th
201710605.45-228.21st 🏆
20171000259.82nd
201710181.64-223.43rd
201710383.45-278.24th
201710262.36111.55th
201710645.82-396.86th
20171040.36488.48th
20171000289.77th
2017100023.39th
20171000-46.810th
201810572.59213.32nd
201810582.6424.31st 🏆
201810221-287.23rd
201810140.64391.55th
201810221-2.84th
201810462.09-84.66th
201810180.82199.47th
20181080.36-110.58th
201810331.5-0.19th
201810170.77-341.910th
201810763.3-1423rd
201810321.39-329.84th
201810341.484176th
201810200.87183.42nd
201810180.78-203.65th
201810924316.41st 🏆
201810261.13-73.18th
20181000-159.510th
201810120.5233.67th
20181000-429th
20188381.15278.11st 🏆
20188280.85-361.72nd
20188200.6158.44th
20188200.61-170.43rd
20188431.3139.15th
20188501.5215.26th
20188401.21-86.27th
20188260.79127.88th
201910150.3247.81st 🏆
201910681.45265.92nd
201910521.1123.64th
201910400.85593rd
201910420.89-67.28th
201910811.72-2717th
201910901.91-26.56th
20191080.17258.65th
201910320.68-163.49th
2019101082.3-125.310th
20198441.29386.31st 🏆
20198521.5363.92nd
20198501.47-434th
20198300.88-114.23rd
20198120.35-89.88th
20198240.71-290.75th
20198260.76155.67th
20198381.12-68.36th
201910401.4362.11st 🏆
201910200.7186.52nd
201910260.9314.16th
201910461.64162.44th
201910541.93-94.65th
20191000268.110th
201910521.86-80.33rd
201910220.7919th
20191080.2991.87th
201910301.07-511.58th
201912100.34360.63rd
201912210.721274th
201912702.412481st 🏆
201912280.97-147.12nd
201912270.93-8.312th
201912341.17-8.98th
201912682.34-100.86th
201912481.66-261.35th
201912260.91889th
201912341.17-31411th
201912180.628110th
201912301.03-163.37th
20208481.6518.42nd
20208140.47-5923rd
20208481.6125.91st 🏆
20208180.670.44th
2020820.0793.15th
20208421.4-246.16th
20208481.6-259.57th
2020880.27289.28th
202012971.75186.61st 🏆
202012991.784.42nd
202012470.8524.74th
202012561.01167.25th
202012550.99128.33rd
202012761.37-431.76th
202012410.74-344.210th
202012801.44-42.17th
202012160.29116.111th
202012150.27121.29th
202012400.72102.312th
202012661.19-31.48th
202012441.52-65.64th
202012461.59199.43rd
202012120.41192.52nd
202012662.28207.61st 🏆
202012160.55197.2
202012341.1753.3
202012140.4817.6
202012421.45-109.3
202012100.34260
202012240.83-392.4
202012582-267.1
202012200.69-293.3
202010891.37532.72nd
202010651-436.41st 🏆
202010490.75154.35th
202010220.3478.23rd
202010560.8633.96th
202010741.14156.24th
202010961.48-254.110th
202010651-160.59th
202010821.26-1.88th
202010320.49-102.67th
202112661.28871st 🏆
202112220.43485.13rd
2021121322.56407.52nd
202112480.93153.64th
202112551.0743.47th
202112460.89-354.45th
202112240.47658th
20211280.163626th
2021121272.47-549.69th
202112340.66-25210th
202112701.36-72.111th
202112621.2-375.912th
202110681.58357.71st 🏆
202110501.16226.52nd
202110511.1966.84th
202110360.8458.63rd
202110140.33126.15th
202110240.56-112.56th
202110320.7432.98th
202110561.3-197.67th
202110220.51-163.19th
202110541.26-394.210th
202112421.24437.51st 🏆
202112601.762652nd
202112220.653884th
202112682163.73rd
202112320.94-1.4
202112100.29190.4
202112300.88-497.1
202112361.06-74.1
202112661.94-1515th
202112381.12-380.86th
202112320.94-70.68th
202112200.59-268.87th
202110671.44144.44th
202110260.56219.11st 🏆
202110340.73-101.35th
202110972.09-1012nd
202110180.39856th
202110561.23143rd
2021101072.3-64.48th
202110781.68-571.47th
202110370.8163.310th
202110310.67-88.29th
202210781.39432.54th
202210290.52213.43rd
202210611.09-191.21st 🏆
202210761.36240.42nd
202210220.39-78.67th
202210881.5711.95th
202210390.7-868th
202210661.18-105.76th
202210510.91-2419th
202210270.48-196.410th
202210521.76481.81st 🏆
202210351.1951.12nd
202210541.8352.64th
202210180.61218.43rd
202210712.41-56.48th
202210200.68-29.17th
202210200.68-136.56th
202210240.8174.65th
202210200.68-277.39th
202210381.29-379.810th
202210591.44525.72nd
202210691.68177.94th
202210160.39208.25th
202210591.44-116.73rd
202210421.02272.36th
202210260.63139.61st 🏆
202210551.3475.38th
202210390.95-523.99th
202210170.41-178.77th
202210400.98-580.710th
202212522.17389.62nd
202212461.92420.91st 🏆
202212200.83323.23rd
202212220.92-51.54th
202212281.17302.1
202212602.5-377.3
202212200.83-136.2
20221280.33173.8
202212261.08-41.97th
202212542.25-429.58th
20221240.17-344.85th
202212180.75-2266th
202310491.88561st 🏆
20231060.23252.72nd
202310200.77432.24th
202310562.15-53.43rd
202310511.96-187.16th
202310140.546.85th
202310461.77166.97th
20231080.31-419.18th
202310261-739th
202310261-182.110th
202312501.23-55.11st 🏆
202312370.91-336.82nd
202312711.75-162.24th
202312120.3258.43rd
202312992.44284.85th
202312380.94120.47th
202312270.673796th
202312250.62-188.910th
202312160.4-89.211th
202312501.23-76.48th
202312431.06-6.112th
202312661.63-126.69th
202310551.3153.43rd
202310400.95248.31st 🏆
202310160.3846.15th
202310481.1498.36th
202310421123.82nd
202310280.67126.54th
202310671.6-220.110th
202310370.88-282.39th
202310461.1161.78th
202310421-356.67th
202312100.29405.11st 🏆
202312461.31-365.93rd
202312481.3729.82nd
202312361.03109.34th
202312340.97252.5
202312391.11-37.4
202312240.69201
202312571.63-527
202312300.8639.68th
202312160.46-21.66th
202312140.421.77th
202312401.14-106.55th
202410611.74518.21st 🏆
202410521.49288.12nd
202410501.43-85.64th
202410180.51236.73rd
202410320.91-46.36th
202410481.37-177.87th
202410180.5127.65th
202410100.29-152.28th
202410381.09-2659th
202410140.4-343.710th
202412591.3296.54th
202412801.7648.11st 🏆
202412511.1225.43rd
202412551.21495.32nd
202412521.1454.87th
202412260.57-240.26th
202412290.64-158.610th
2024121022.2427.45th
202412220.48-386.212th
202412400.88-109.18th
20241280.18231.711th
20241200-284.99th
202410682.23270.92nd
202410260.85195.41st 🏆
202410300.98142.15th
202410150.49-64.74th
202410591.93-334.96th
202410311.0266.83rd
202410612-120.57th
202410300.9829.78th
202410110.36-239.610th
202410521.755.19th
202412421.31538.11st 🏆
202412762.3892nd
202412722.25-128.94th
202412300.9459.73rd
202412220.69-277.9
202412341.0695.2
202412140.44213.8
202412140.4415.2
202412521.63204.38th
202412280.88-224.37th
202412341.06-3386th
202412300.94-165.95th
202414481.88-21.84th
202414291.14232.11st 🏆
202414632.472923rd
202414140.55108.55th
202414461.824.42nd
202414582.27-45.26th
202414190.75-51111th
20241480.3137810th
202414291.14-321.17th
20241400383.18th
202414311.22-199.814th
20241400128.112th
20241420.08-0.713th
202414220.86-445.89th
202410881.63-136.91st 🏆
202410380.7270.43rd
202410921.7-32.66th
202410761.41193.84th
20241030.065192nd
202410821.52-354.38th
202410681.26-543.210th
202410400.74300.45th
202410340.63-148.67th
20241020.04-68.19th
202510240.86481.32nd
202510311.11421.51st 🏆
202510441.5723.63rd
202510140.5-261.94th
202510963.43-14.86th
202510301.07-97.15th
202510260.93-63.28th
202510612.18-616.77th
202510110.39-266.89th
202510160.57393.310th
2025121303.47419.11st 🏆
202512611.63-40.42nd
202512421.12-8.34th
202512250.67100.13rd
202512391.0462.45th
202512792.11-140.66th
202512220.59-364.111th
202512310.83-61.98th
202512100.27383.310th
20251200-112.29th
202512431.15-51.17th
202512360.96-185.712th
202510250.94365.13rd
202510461.7428.74th
20251090.34263.66th
202510632.38-50.32nd
202510481.81-64.65th
202510220.83108.41st 🏆
202510281.0649.39th
202510752.83-477.210th
202510180.68-350.88th
202510200.75126.77th
202510301.22-277.84th
202510130.532513rd
202510963.92423.41st 🏆
202510301.22447.62nd
202510853.47181.210th
202510341.39165.95th
20251040.16164.86th
202510190.78-5399th
20251010.04-175.57th
20251020.08-643.58th
202512802.13587.71st 🏆
202512381.01-25.62nd
202512501.33185.85th
202512260.69113.53rd
202512481.28-33.112th
202512501.33-99.711th
202512381.01-2524th
202512160.4355.56th
202512200.53286.18th
202512340.91-459.97th
202512370.99-212.810th
202512220.59-145.19th
202514621.55142.14th
202514190.48122.53rd
2025141563.9-2322nd
202514360.9-77.95th
202514661.65448.61st 🏆
202514290.73-50.96th
202514230.5783.110th
202514822.05-49.812th
202514471.18-173.59th
20251480.2379.48th
202514441.1-26.211th
202514621.55-47.414th
20251480.2-137.87th
20251400-380.213th